


All Eyes on Me | Reader x Akira Kurusu

by one_neet_writer



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Manipulative!Reader, No Persona 5 Royal Spoilers, Persona 5 Spoilers, Reader attends Kosei High, Reader is not a good person, Slow Burn, Unreliable Narrator, idol!reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22845640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_neet_writer/pseuds/one_neet_writer
Summary: " To be the perfect Angel, some sin must be done "To the general public, (Y/N) (L/N) is a kind-hearted and down to earth type of person, who strives to be the best she can be. However, peel that mask away to reveal a manipulative and an ice-cold person. Analyzing people and figuring out how they tick, she manipulates people to her own benefit. But then she meets Akira Kurusu who manages to subvert her expectations. She is determined to have him dancing in the palm of her hands but will she be the one dancing in his palm instead?
Relationships: Amamiya Ren (Persona Series)/Reader, Kurusu Akira/Reader, Persona 5 Protagonist/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 81





	1. Two-Faced B*tch

Staring at the figure in the mirror, I couldn't help but double-check my own appearance a few times before letting out a sigh. I'll be late if I keep checking whether or not I looked fine for the day. 

Stepping out of my bedroom, slightly tugging on the scarf around my neck glancing around at the empty and silent apartment with the sun invading through a slit through the curtains. Frankly, I didn't want to head out to school, but I had no choice in the matter. 

There were things to be done today after all. 

I grabbed a small snack from the cabinet pulling out my phone checking the time. I still had enough minutes to spare. I swiped through my phone before tapping on the news quickly scanning through the news feed. 

"Do they have nothing better to report on?" I couldn't help but mutter softly to myself shaking my head. "What a pathetic teacher. It's your own fault for digging your own grave."

It was already on the news for the past several days about that Olympic Medalist teacher confessing his sins. It was annoying considering I had to stay on top of these subjects and the latest news. I couldn't fall behind everyone else. I needed to be on top. 

_Beep! Beep!_

The sound of the alarm snapped me out of my thoughts before glancing at my phone checking the time.

Time to go.

I slipped on my shoes before resting my hand on the handle of the door. Taking a deep breath in and out, I mentally prepared myself for the day. A full eighteen hours to bare myself for the public to see. 

A glanced at the mirror as a smile easily fell on my lips and a bright cheerful facade replaced my neutral expression. 

Perfect. 

Pushing open the door, I headed out mentally running through the mental list of events for today. 

* * *

Stepping off the train, my eyes scanned the crowd. Students were rushing to their next train and I certainly was no exception. However, I needed to meet up with someone before I hop onto my next train even if I was going to be a bit late catching the next train. It was a bit annoying but frankly, I had no choice. If I could, I would prefer to ditch her however, I needed to meet with her.

I glanced at the clock nearby seeing I was indeed on time. There was still enough time to get to school on time, but she was running late. Normally, she was here waiting for me which was a bit annoying and creepy, but it was worth it. 

Still, where was she?

"Ah! (Y/N)-chan~! Sorry I am late!" a cheerful voice called out running to me as I glanced over to the girl standing there. There she is. What was her name again?

"I am so glad you waited for me! Were you waiting for long?" the rather bland girl asked practically beaming in delight.

"I just got here so don't worry about it," I waved it off with a lie even if I was a little annoyed on the inside. What was her name again... Anako Himari? Anata Hinata? Oh yeah! That's what it was. Arakawa Hikari. "Oh, by the way Hikari-chan, how’s the school newspaper coming along?”

”Oh it’s great! I’ve been wandering around the school listening to all sorts of stories and trying to find out the next big scoop!” Hikari’s eyes practically gleamed as if she was on her next scoop. 

“Oh, anything good?” I asked with a smile on my face. 

“No! I went around and I saw Jean and Matsuko talking about..." Hikari fell into a ramble as I carefully listened as my body fell into autopilot mode. 

It's not like I wasn't listening. I was. I mentally sorted out the details in my head making sure to keep track of every single detail that came out of her mouth. It was a pain but a much-needed sacrifice. 

I needed to know everything and anything going on in order to be standing at the top. 

* * *

Kosei High School.

A prestigious and highly acclaimed academy that hosted some of the most talented students that excelled in the fine arts. In order to even enter this academy, one must perform an interview and get through several testing phases before even being considered to be a worthy candidate. The fine art’s division was even harder as we had to audition for a spot. Scholarships were offered to even attend such a prestigious school. 

In other words, entering this school meant a student must be prepared for war the moment you set foot on campus. 

Every single student is dedicated to learning their respective field and was battling each other to claim the very top spot of their field. The slightest bit of hesitation or wavering from your path meant death in this institution. Nobody was ever considered safe even if you are at the very top. 

Again, and again, and again, you must fight each newcomer and come out on top no matter what. 

It was the kind of place where you were unable to adapt, you will fail to survive in this institution. 

That's why having connections were very important and why I personally made friends with none other than a member of the newspaper club. Someone who naturally is into journalism and excels in finding out information about everything and anything about the school? I didn't hesitate to claim her as my "best friend" in the school. It established my own little information network in school.

It is also why I tolerated Hikari. Though she was annoying, she served a very useful purpose to my cause. She helped me to keep track of everyone in the school. Sure a majority of it was gossip, but it was always information useful to me. The more information you had, the larger arsenal you had at your disposal. 

“Also, (Y/N)-chan! We had a recent popularity poll and guess what? You were number one again!” Hikari beamed brightly at me before letting out a dreamy sigh. “I am so lucky to be best friends with the most talented, coolest, and popular girl in the school.”

“I’m just lucky to have people think so highly of me,” I replied back with a polite smile on my face. 

Most popular girl in the school, again? Of course. Who does she think I am? I work hard to perfect my public image. 

Grades? They may not be the top of my class, but they were still praiseworthy enough for other students to ask me for help. 

Looks? That was sealed in the bag. I made sure to carefully craft my image every single morning. 

Memorable? I wear this stupid scarf for a reason. It was a small thing, but it helped people to remember who I was. 

Kindness? I made sure to help every single person that I came across and drop their name into the conversation. They act so surprise when I know who they are. I make it a point to compliment them even if I could really care less about them or what they do. It really throws them for a loop. 

My image was meticulously crafted to ensure my spot in the school. My spot as the most popular girl was a result of my hard work. 

Today, our homeroom teacher began talking to the class and I didn't pay him much attention. 

On a scale of one to ten of how useful he is, he would be a three at best. There was no point in trying to up my appearance with him. He had little to no connection to the correct fields I was interested in and any connections he had to in my area, I already had them. 

At best, he could write up a decent recommendation letter. 

B o r i n g. 

The same goes for the Math Teacher and Science Teachers. Both were failures in my books as well. 

However, when the next class rolled around, my posture was a tad better than normal and everything on my desk was organized. 

It was perfect. 

That’s when the next teacher walked in. 

Edward Mathias. 

He was a European foreign who the school had begged to hire. Why?

He was an esteemed composer as he has been working with a multitude of musicians. He also wrote lyrics in different languages and has become fluent in 7 different languages as a result. He only took this job due to the fact, he has been interested in the Asian Music industry. His connections were worldwide! He was a perfect person to try to connect with. 

However, almost nobody in the school actually knew who he was or why he was here. 

I did. I made sure to go look up who he was and bingo! I hit a jackpot. 

Besides, learning English was actually a very important subject that I paid extra care to learn. 

It was a reading section today which was fairly easy- if you count reading a foreign language story written over a hundred years ago as easy. This wasn’t including interpreting it yet. 

“(L/N)-san. Would you mind translating this passage?”

“Yes, sir,” I obediently stood up and began to translate the passage into English. It wasn’t hard for me… not when I spent nonstop hours learning how to speak, read, and learn English. It was only to help myself in the end. Besides, it was an impressive skill to show off when I speak to others in fluent English. I finished before sitting down already knowing my results. 

“Good job, (L/N)-san. Perfect translation like usual,” Mathias praised.

“Wow, (L/N)-chan is so talented.”

“And so humble, too!”

“She is always so helpful, too!” 

“Man, I wish I could have the skills to do what (L/N)-san does.”

“Okay, quiet down,” Mathias ordered before calling on the next student to read. 

Though it may seem like a little thing, it actually cemented many things. 

The teacher knew of my work ethic and my standards. I could nudge my way into giving him my information and hopefully, that will lead to future venues and jobs with him. Not to mention, my reputation in the school as the kind-hearted and intelligent girl cemented my position. There was practically nobody in the school who wasn’t aware of who I was. Then again, I made sure everyone knew who I was in school. 

Scribbling across my paper, I paid diligently to the class and took extra care to write my notes. 

* * *

Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder if all of my so-called "friends" were really worth it. I am very patient. I had to be. I had to be quite tolerant of people in my line of work but this… this was just ridiculous. It was way past the time school had ended and we weren’t even in the same area anymore. 

Shoving down my growing irritation into a tiny little box, I put on a friendly smile glancing over at a certain artist. 

“Kitagawa-kun?” I called with a very polite tone.

“Yes?” he asked not even glancing over at me. 

“How long do you plan on standing here?” 

“For however long it takes,” he replied without the slightest bit of hesitation. 

Are you kidding me? 

You got to be kidding me?!

Despite the incredible talent Yusuke Kitagawa possesses, I keep finding myself questioning why I bother with him. Then, I remember he is connected to Madarame. _The Madarame_. The famous artist who has been renowned for the multitude of art styles he creates and the various artworks. 

“Kitagawa-kun?” I politely called out to him.

“Is something the matter?” he asked with confusion written across his face.

_‘Of course there’s something the matter!’_ I wanted to shout at him but held my irritation back. 

“We have been standing here for over two hours… don’t you think it’s about time we head back? You said you needed your next piece to be done with,” I asked. 

“Ah,” the blue hair artist muttered seeing I had a point. Of course I had a point! I wouldn’t mention it for no reason! He then glanced over at me. “I suppose you are right. We should be heading back now.”

Thank god! Took him long enough to settle that.

“Great,” I said barely repressing a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe you came to people watch somewhere besides Shibuya. Did you really have to come here to Aoyama-Itchome?”

“Yes,” Kitagawa confirmed with a nod of his head. “I thought if I stood here long enough, I would find my muse.”

I had to suppress my annoyance. He really knew how to press my buttons. No. Calm down! Think about this rationally and calmly. Kitagawa knew Madarame. Madarame had a multitude of connections. Just stay calm and get through this. It is only a temporary obstacle to face. 

“... Kitagawa-kun?”

“You have been saying my name a lot.”

“That’s because I need to bring to your attention that school has been out for over two hours and not a single Shujin student is going to be here. Not even your so-called ‘muse’ would be here,” I said, doing my best not to strangle him and not let out the slightest hint of my annoyance slip out.

Seriously?? We waited here for over two hours just because he may see the person who has hit him with inspiration. Kitagawa was so lucky that I knew exactly where Shujin was and what their uniforms looked like thanks to that news’ report. If not, we would have been forced to stay at Shibuya and look there. Chills shot up my spine at the mere thought of roaming Shibuya mindless for hours on end for the girl who caught his attention. Yeah, no thank you. 

I do not have the patience for this. He was so lucky that due to the Madarame exhibition coming up, my schedule has been pretty much cleared. After words, it was to be thrown back into the works. I wanted to enjoy the brief breathing period as much as possible. 

“Ah, Sensei will be dropping by. He said he had some matters to discuss with you,” Kitagawa noted. “We will stop by in the morning to pick you up. 

“I see. Thank you for informing me,” I thanked him with a smile. “Let’s head back already.”

“Of course.”

* * *

Entering my apartment, I closed the door silently behind me. I carefully slipped off my shoes before immediately heading straight to my bedroom. I turned on my heel before flopping backwards onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling with a blank expression written across my face. 

I then grabbed a pillow before covering my face and screaming loudly into the pillow. Gripping tightly to the pillow, I sat up before slamming it onto the floor. 

What the hell, Kitagawa! I wasted all that time standing there with him when I could of doing more important things! My schedule may have been cleared on paper, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have things to do!

Wait calm down, (Y/N). Remember there was something that still came out of it. You were informed that Madarame was coming here and wanted to personally speak with you. 

That was great! Connections connections! I would be getting an even bigger step before. 

Become the last person standing. 

I will be standing above everyone and nobody was going to stop me. 

Little did I know, I would find myself regretting going with them. 

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone, welcome to this fanfiction. Honestly, there were many types of fanfictions that I’ve seen about Persona 5 and Reader is shown to be an outright good person. So what if I made Reader not a good person? I honestly think it was a much more interesting dynamic to discover and how she interacts with the Phantom Thieves and other people in Persona 5. 

Also, I thought it would be much more fun if Reader attends Kosei rather than Shujin. Overall, it does fit the Reader in this story much better if she attends there. I had also decided that Kosei High School would be an institution that was a fine-arts-focused institution. It does have other branches, but it's fine art’s division is its highest and most praised section. I personally never entered one, but I had friends who attended one before in high school. They admit, it was a very serious location and actually did sort of felt like a waging war going on. Then again, they never took it seriously as the other students so it could be just them.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and see you in the next one.


	2. A Chance Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance encounter leads to meeting new people and a familiar face once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also for future references, I will note that although I have completed and finished playing Persona 5 Royal, this story will not be following that storyline. However, it does tend to clean up and fix things so I will be borrowing some of those story elements in the story and feature the locations and characters from Royal! 

Politely smiling, I sat in the backseat of the car right between Madarame and Kitagawa. The blue-haired artist was pressed up against the door, his eyes glued to the passing sights. It made it a little more comfortable in the car, however I couldn't complain. It was a free ride to Kosei, and why would I turn down the chance to talk to the famous artist. 

"Thank you again for picking me up," I gave a small nod of appreciation making sure to flair my best smile. I was sure I was glowing with radiance. I did make sure to make sure I looked my best for today’s little meeting even though I have already met Madarame quite a number of times. “And the exhibition is tomorrow. I will be sure to attend. I’m very grateful for the ticket you gave me.”

“Ah, Yusuke insisted I make sure to give you one. Besides, it is the least I can do when you always make sure to keep an eye out for him,” Madarame smile back at me with what seemed like a pleasant and warm smile... but it couldn’t fool my eyes. 

Nonetheless, my smile didn’t fault as I shook my head and held up my hand politely. “I was only doing what any good person would do.” I was only doing what I need to do- not that I had a choice in the matter. “Besides, tickets to your art exhibit are certainly expensive, Madarame-san. Are you sure it’s okay to give it to me?” 

“Of course,” Madarame insisted with a nod of his head. “After all, it’s an honor for someone like yourself to attend. After all-“ The door suddenly flung open as I snapped my head towards the door to see Kitagawa had darted out from the car much to my confusion. 

Eh?

"Yusuke! Yusuke!" Madarame called out to no avail. Typical Kitagawa... He let out a sigh before shaking his head. “Oh dear..."

Swiftly, I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out before pausing glancing back in with a bit of an awkward smile. “Uh, I’ll go find Kitagawa-kun wherever he went this time,” I apologized before closing the door and running off in the same direction he ran off too.

Where did he go this time?

Scanning the crowd, I managed to pick out Kitagawa’s unique blue hair as he began to disappear down into the train station 

“Goddammit. Not again,” I muttered under my breath before running and trying to catch up to him. God, he didn’t make things easy for me. He never did.

However, I managed to follow Kitagawa onto a train. I could see him but the train was too tightly packed for me to be anywhere near him or close enough to try to talk to him. On the bright side, I didn’t have to buy a ticket since it was technically part of my route to school. 

However, we transferred to another station where Kitagawa then began to file out. Thank god! Forcing myself to squeeze out of the train, I let out a sigh of relief once I was free and making sure to send a message to Madarame. Then I began to walk up the stairs and caught a glimpse of Kitagawa where he was just standing there at the top. There he is. Seems he found whatever caught his eye for the thousandth time and already I had an apology planned out in my head. 

“Kitagawa-kun, can you please leave those poor people alone?” I asked as I casually strolled up to him. He turned to face me before tilting his head. 

“I am not bothering them though...” He trailed off. 

“But you were following me since the train!” a blond hair girl shouted.

Kitagawa blinked before he glanced away muttering, "That's because..."

I finally noticed the other two standing and my eyes widened and my smile grew recognizing one of them. Even with the different hair color, I instantly recognized him. 

“What are you doing here, (L/N)-san?” Ryuji Sakamato asked with a bit of a bite in his voice. I had to force myself not to snicker in response. 

“Oh, Ryu-kun don’t be upset. I was just following Kitagawa-kun here,” I smiled brightly back at him and waved it off. “We both attend the same school.”

“You know her?” the frizzy-haired boy asked. 

“Unfortunately,” Ryuji said, clearly not wanting to talk about it now... not that I could blame him. His eyes kept glaring at me though I didn’t let that phase me. Some things never change.

However, the sound of a car beeping it's horn drew all of our attention away to see a black car pull up. The window rolled down and I politely waved at Madarame. 

"My goodness... I had wondered why you left the car. So this is where your passion led. All is well that ends well." Madarame then began to chuckle, though it sounded rather empty and half-hearted to me. He could make an effort to sound more joyful about it- then again he only has to make an appearance when needed. He doesn't need to put on a charade all the time as I do. 

"I saw you from the car... and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you," Kitagawa admitted as the pieces slid into place.

Of course! The girl was the model that Kitagawa has been searching for this entire time. They are wearing Shujin uniforms plus the fact that Kitagawa ran out of the car the moment it stopped all finally added up. He wasn't going to let his muse escape his grasp again. At least now, I don't have to waste hours of my time waiting with Yusuke to locate his muse anymore.

"I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei... But thank goodness, I caught up to you," Kitagawa continued as I could already see the misunderstanding forming. He should really be careful of how he says things... though I made no attempt to stop him.

"Okay..." the girl trailed off, awkwardly. 

"What?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time!" Kitagawa proclaimed as if he was professing his love... for art. "Please, won't you-"

"W-Wait a minute, I-" The blond girl was clearly getting flustered thinking it was going to be a love confession. This was anything but that. 

"-Be the model for my next art piece!?" Kitagawa continued and though he may have asked, I knew he wasn't going to take no for an answer. 

The trio exchange looks of confusion before the girl turned to him.

"... Model?" she repeated.

"Kitagawa-kun is an artist and occasionally, he asks people to help model for his art pieces," I explained with a polite smile and a clasped my hands behind my back.

"Indeed," he nodded his head. "All that I've drawn till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else."

For a second, I even thought I heard a meow, though I couldn't see a cat in sight... 

"If you are ‘friends’ with _her_ -“ Ryuji made a point to emphasize his words and gave me a particularly harsh glare before glancing back at Yusuke. “-we definitely can’t trust whatever shady business you are dealing with.”

I let out a gasp before covering my mouth as I glanced away letting my shoulder slump. “Shady? I don’t know what you are going about...” And to add a cherry on top, I even added a little sniffle.

“Ryuji! Stop being so rude,” the girl hissed at him and made sure to gave Ryuji a glare before turning to me with a polite smile. “Sorry about that.”

”It’s okay, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault for bothering you guys,” I assured with a wave of my hand and feigned a sad smile. I honestly didn’t mind it. In fact, it was a lot better this way. It would be boring if Ryuji didn’t act hostile towards me, and I enjoyed it much more if he did... not that I am some sort of masochist. I find it much more amusing this way.

“Please, will you cooperate with me?” What do you say?” Kitagawa pleaded with the girl, a bit on the desperate side.

Quite literally putting his foot down, Ryuji didn’t hesitate to speak his mind sprouting out, “Hold your horses! Who’re you anyways?”

That seemed to calm down Kitagawa a bit as he straightened his posture.

”Oh, where are my manners? We are both second years at Kosei High’s fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa.”

”And I’m (Y/N) (L/N). It’s nice to meet you all,” I beamed brightly at them.

”Whoa whoa!” Ann gasped as her eyes widened. “You mean you are the (Y/N) (L/N)?! As in the same person who is currently ranked as one of the most popular idols and known for her unique outfits that you personally design yourself?!”

I let out a sheepish giggle before rubbing the back of my neck. “That’s me. I’m so happy that you recognized me at all. I’m rather amazed that you know who I am.”

Ryuji let out an annoyed click of his tongue and rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Yeah, yeah. We have all seen your idol posters all over Shibuya. Big whoop.”

“I didn’t realize you knew an idol,” the guy with the glasses finally spoke up for the first time in the conversation.

”We met before she became well known,” Ryuji admitted with a grumble.

However, Kitagawa seemed rather impatient as he closed the distance to the girl. My eyes narrowed as I swiftly moved. My hand latched onto Ryuji’s coat before harshly tugging it causing him to stumble a bit backwards as Kitagawa nearly barreled into him.

”What was that for?!” Ryuji hissed at me, but I paid him no mind as I glanced back at Kitagawa hoping that he wasn’t causing too much trouble.

But of course, that was too much to ask for.

“I’m Madarame-sensei’s pupil and I am being allowed residence at his place. I’m striving to become an artist,” Kitagawa said with a certain look in his eyes. Even if he wasn’t exactly the easiest person to cooperate with or understand, he did at least know how to use his connections to his advantage to get what he wants. I could definitely praise that.

”Huh?!” the girl gasped again. “You mean _THAT_ Madarame? The one who was on ‘Good Morning Japan’ the other day?”

“The very same,” Kitagawa assured. Ryuji glanced at me looking for some sort of confirmation. I gave him a pleasant smile and a small nod of my head to confirm it was indeed true.

Ryuji stared at me for a few more seconds before turning to Ann. “You know who that is?”

Ann nodded her head, looking a bit eager. “He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who’s been recognized all over the world!” However, Ann’s face fell as she muttered something under her breath that I didn’t quite catch. Something about a “Mementos?” 

Checking the time, my eyes widen slightly in alarm. We were going to be late if we keep standing around and talking. “Kitagawa-kun. We have to get going.”

”But-“

The car window rolled down as Madarame shook his head. “Yusuke! Your friend is right. We have to get going.”

That seemed to knock some reason in Kitagawa as he obediently nodded his head. 

“I’m sorry, Sensei and (L/N)-san. I’ll be right there,” he assured. 

“That old guy is Madarame?” Ryuji muttered as I turned on my heel, glancing back at Ryuji. 

“Introduce me to your friends in the future, Ryu-kun,” I smiled at him before giving him a wave.

"Screw off," Ryuji grumbled and I could feel his glare on my back.

A small giggle escaped my lips as I began to stroll towards the car. Walking past guy with the glasses, I spared a glance over at him. My eyes met his own and found he has a rather normal and forgettable appearance.

I couldn’t I wondered who exactly did Ryuji become all buddy with? Who is this guy anyways? At least they seemed to be in the same grade judging the number 2 pin on his lapel. They could even be in the same class. 

I averted my gaze as I strolled back to the car and slid back in patiently waiting for Kitagawa to be done.

Thankfully, he wrapped it quite swiftly (for Yusuke at least) before joining us in the car as the driver began to drive a bit faster to Kosei. We were a bit behind, but we should be able to still make it to class on time.

”I’m glad you finally found your muse, Kitagawa-kun,” I muttered as I glanced over at him.

“Indeed, it was a rather a magnificent find,” Kitagawa nodded his head as a smile grew on his face. His face screamed he was inspired which meant he probably was going to be in his own world during classes... again. “Surely, this was truly a meeting destined by fate that I was able to finally meet my muse today! I truly am inspired today!” Then, he turned to me with a smile. “Will you be able to come today? I am struck with some inspiration to paint!”

A small chuckle of disbelief escaped my lips. This idiot was actually saying that he really wanted me to come over to that Shake, especially since my schedule is cleared. 

”Sorry, not today,” I apologized with a fake smile. “However in a few days' time, I will be able to. I have to prepare to attend the exhibit after all and still keep up with my own personal practices. Besides, I have to design my next outfit.” However, I already knew he would continue to bug me about it all day. “However, I can spend an hour after school to help you.”

“Thank you, (L/N)-san!” Kitagawa then paused. “By the way, who was that vulgar guy? I am surprised you associated yourself with someone like him.”

Despite the fact he can get sidetracked with art and his passions for what he loves, Kitagawa was incredibly perceptive.

”Someone I used to know a long time ago,” I replied as I pulled out my phone. “We were friends once, but not anymore. Though, I am still happy to see him nonetheless.”

“I see...” Yusuke trailed off. “Then, I apologize for my behavior.”

”It’s alright,” I assured before glancing up at him with a small. “So... what exactly did you have in mind for that painting you wanted that girl to model for.”

A wide grin grew on his face. 

“Well...” He then proceeded on a tangent about the paintings he had in mind and the poses as I quietly listened. He was certainly inspired to paint again.

However, there was something more important on my mind. 

Ryuji Sakamoto.

I never expected to see him again. A small smile grew on my face as I glanced down at my phone. I can’t wait for our next meeting, after all, he has some friends he has to introduce to me...

* * *

"That guy's as easy to read as a book, but her on the other hand..." Ryuji trailed off before he shook his heads and turned to Ann. "You're not plannin' on goin', are ya?"

Ann glanced down before reluctantly answering, "I think I will."

This took them off guard, especially Ryuji.

"W-Whoa! If that guy is with her, that is just bad news!" Ryuji tried to convinced Ann as Akira raised an eyebrow. 

"You mean, (L/N)-san?" Akira questioned, a bit confused. "She seemed nice."

Ryuji rolled his eyes and let out a scoff. "She is anything but nice." Then, a light bulb went off as he whipped around to the two of them. “I know who our next target is, and it’s her- (Y/N) (L/N)!”

”Whoa whoa... slow down.” Morgana, then popped his head out of the bag. “You need to explain yourself, especially why you were so hostile towards her.”

”Yeah. It was a little uncalled for,” Ann agreed before giving a thoughtful look. “From what I could tell, (Y/N) is around the same age as us and has spiked in popularity, especially recently. In fact, she has donates often to charity, and most of her concerts are dedicated to charity. If not, she still ends up donating a portion of her earnings to charity. She even started a clothing line where some of the clothes that are made are donated to charity. She’s like one of the nicest idols out there.”

”But I am guessing that’s not the case,” Akira chimed in. 

”Yeah,” Ryuji grumbled as he crossed his arms. “The whole thing is just an act. I've known her long enough to know that whole thing is just some act to benefit her in some way. There's no way in hell she is actually doing out of the kindness of her heart.”

”Wait, how did you two even meet much less get to know each other?” Ann questioned. "She is an idol and all..."

”That’s a long story,” Ryuji admitted as he glanced away rubbing the back of his neck.

”Crap! Look at the time!" Ann gasped as she looked at her phone. "I'll see you later!" 

She then proceeded to run off. 

"Looks like we have to save that story for another time," Akira mused. 

"Still, looks like we have two potential targets," Morgana mused before his eyes narrowed. "Actually, three targets! How dare he go after Lady Ann... I've memorized that face of yours, Yusuke!"

Ryuji shook his head. 

"We should get going... we already running a bit late," Akira suggested. 

"Fine," Ryuji reluctantly gave in as they began to jog to the school. 

However, Akira's mind trailed back to the idol. According to Ryuji, you weren't as nice as you seemed, and it was clear Ryuji didn't like you in the slightest bit. You, on the other hand, seemed genuinely happy to see him. You were like a cat toying with it's food as you prodding Ryuji with teases and feigned ignorance. It would appear as you simply enjoy messing with Ryuji but...

Akira shook his head. He probably was just overthinking things, and he didn't actually know who you were. He needed to hear the whole story from Ryuji first before he can say anything for sure. 

Either way, things were going to be quite interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I get to my thoughts, I purposely have Reader address people in a certain manner within her own thoughts and dialogue. So just fyi, it’s not a mistake that Reader addresses Yusuke as “Kitagawa” and Ryuji as “Ryuji” instead. Or even in the story itself. How Reader addresses certain people in the story is an important part of her views on people and their relationships to her.
> 
> Anyways, surprise- Reader already knows Ryuji, and Ryuji already knows her true facade. In fact, they've known each other for a long time. And now, the Phantom Thieves do technically have two possible targets now. With Reader as an idol, she can easily be a target as some of you already guessed. :) 
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I won't be updating this one as often, but I do have a storyline outline for this. Don't worry, I am not planning to abandon this fanfiction. 


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